Kaohsiung: Two Malaysian men have been sentenced to nine years in prison for smuggling heroin into Taiwan by concealing the drugs in their rectums, the Kaohsiung District Court announced on Friday. The men attempted to smuggle the drugs in exchange for US$1,250 each. The court's ruling is subject to appeal.

According to Focus Taiwan, the court revealed that the men were recruited by an individual known only as "Botak" to carry out the smuggling operation sometime in August or September of the previous year. Following their instructions, the men traveled to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on February 1 of this year, where they met with an accomplice. On February 7, they received 26 packets of heroin, classified as a Category 1 narcotic, and concealed 10 packets in one man's rectum and 16 in the other's.

The men received an advance payment of US$250 each before departing for Taiwan. Their journey included a flight from Phnom Penh to Hong Kong, followed by a Cathay Pacific flight to Kaohsiung. Upon arrival at Kaohsiung International Airport on February 7, their suspicious behavior led to an inspection where authorities discovered approximately 213 grams of heroin inside their bodies.

During the trial, both men confessed to the crime. The court acknowledged that they were not the organizers of the smuggling operation and that their participation was driven by financial hardship. The method of drug concealment posed significant health risks, and the quantity of heroin was less than typically smuggled in checked luggage.

Given that the men were intercepted on the day of their arrival in Taiwan, the drugs did not cause serious societal harm. Considering these factors, the court decided to reduce their sentences to nine years each. Additionally, due to their lack of household registration or significant ties to Taiwan, the court ordered their deportation following the completion of their sentences, release on parole, or if granted a pardon.